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The NEBOSH National and International General Certificates in Occupational Health and Safety have been reviewed and updated for 2026. Teaching of the revised syllabus will begin on 2 February 2026, with the first assessments taking place from 4 March 2026.

This article provides an overview of our changes and their impact on learners at different stages of their qualification journey.

The NEBOSH General Certificate qualifications focus on the fundamental principles that underpin health and safety practice. Feedback during the review process indicated that much of the current syllabus remains fit for purpose, and we have, therefore, made only minor changes. We also found that the NEBOSH National and International General Certificates continue to be highly regarded by learners, with strong endorsement from both successful and unsuccessful candidates. Among successful learners, recommendation rates were exceptionally high - 99% for the International Certificate and 96% for the National Certificate. Their feedback highlighted the certificates' value and relevance; eight in ten found each syllabus element useful or very useful, and nine out of ten felt prepared to carry out a low to medium-level risk assessment.

Based on feedback, we will change how we administer and mark unit two, the practical risk assessment.

Assessment changes

The qualifications will continue with two unit assessments. We listened to the feedback we received regarding the second unit and, as a result, have made some changes to it.

• NG1/IG1
  Will be renamed GNC1 and GIC1
  It will continue as a 24-hour scenario-based assessment.
• NG2/IG2
  Will be renamed GNC2 and GIC2
  It will continue as a practical risk assessment with changes to:
  • Submission: the assessment will be submitted by the learner in the same way as unit one, via the online NEBOSH Assessment Platform. The deadline to submit this unit will be 10 working days after the GNC1/GIC1 assessment.
  • Marking: will move from met/not met to a points-based marking system, with a mark breakdown document automatically issued to the learner. The pass mark will be 60%.
  • Results: both units' results will be issued on the same day, 60 working days from the 24-hour scenario-based assessment (GNC1/GIC1). This means that learners will receive the outcome of their whole qualification at the same time.

Recognition

Both the NEBOSH National and International General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety will continue to be accredited and credit rated by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) Accreditation. They are listed in the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) at SCQF Level 6 with 11 SCQF credit points. SCQF Level 6 is comparable to RQF/CQFW Level 3 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Qualification holders are also entitled to:

• Associate Membership (AIIRSM) of the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM).
• Affiliate Membership (AIOSH) of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH). The qualification also meets the academic requirements for Technical Membership (Tech IOSH) of IOSH with appropriate experience. (Assessments must be taken in the UK to be eligible for IOSH membership).

Key dates

• 7 January 2026 (today): public announcement of planned update
• 2 February 2026: teaching of revised syllabus begins
• 4 March 2026: first assessments against the revised syllabus and updated unit two assessments
• 6 August 2026: final assessments against the current syllabus (October 2018 specification).

Transition arrangements

• February 2026: last date for learners to register for the 2018 specification and complete the NG1/IG1 and NG2/IG2 assessments.
  If you would like to register for this specification, please contact your accredited Learning Partner to ensure you are registered in time; Learning Partners will have their own internal administrative deadline.
• August 2026: final assessments for the 2018 qualification specification.
  Learners retaking an assessment after this date will move to the equivalent GNC/GIC unit.

Learner status
Learner has not attempted NG2/IG2	Learner will move to the new specification
Learner has attempted NG2/IG2 and been referred	Learner will remain on current specification to allow them to re-submit by the final assessment date
Learner has completed NG2/IG2	Learner will remain on current specification until the final assessment date

 

Answers to your questions

I received a refer for NG2/IG2 and will be re-taking the assessment after March 2026. What assessment will I take?

You will remain on the current specification and have until August 2026 to retake your assessment. If you do not pass, you will move to the new specification and be required to take the GNC2/GIC2 unit assessment .

Will I still receive a feedback document for unit 2?

We will issue a different type of feedback document; you will now receive a mark breakdown, which shows how marks were awarded for each section of the assessment. This will be automatically emailed to you along with your results. 

Why do I have to wait 60 working days for my results?

Although it will take a little longer, we will now issue both of your unit results on the same day. This means that you will receive the outcome of your whole qualification at the same time. We consulted our accredited Learning Partners when making this decision, and 73% of respondents preferred this more streamlined approach for their learners.  

Will you be making changes to assessment dates?

No, the current assessment dates will remain. The only change will be to the results dates for assessments taken from March 2026 onwards.

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Data

In a 2023 survey, 3,313 of 3,346 (99%) respondents who hold the NEBOSH International General Certificate would recommend the qualification. 1,031 of 1,074 (96%) respondents who hold the NEBOSH National General Certificate would recommend the qualification.

89% of International General Certificate holders and 83% of National General Certificate holders rated each element of the syllabus as useful or very useful.

3,344 of 3,487 (96%) International General Certificate holders answered ‘yes’ when asked if they felt prepared to carry out a risk assessment of a low to medium risk organisation. 1,052 of 1,098 (96%) National General Certificate holders answered ‘yes’ to the same question.